NameCensus.

UK surname

Pedley

A surname derived from a place name referring to someone from Pedley, England.

In the 1881 census there were 1,520 people recorded with the Pedley surname, ranking it #2,763 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 2,294, ranked #2,831, down from #2,763 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Calverley, Astbury and Burslem. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Bradford, Cheshire East and Stafford.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Pedley is 2,426 in 2000. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 50.9%.

1881 census count

1,520

Ranked #2,763

Modern count

2,294

2016, ranked #2,831

Peak year

2000

2,426 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Pedley had 1,520 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #2,763 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 2,294 in 2016, ranked #2,831.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 2,200 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Pedley surname distribution map

The map shows where the Pedley surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.

Distribution map

Pedley surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Pedley over time

The table below tracks recorded surname counts and rank from the 19th-century census years through the modern adult-register period.

Year Period Count Rank
1851 historical 1,098 #2,563
1861 historical 1,010 #2,766
1881 historical 1,520 #2,763
1891 historical 1,725 #2,632
1901 historical 1,982 #2,677
1911 historical 2,200 #2,292
1997 modern 2,205 #2,815
1998 modern 2,384 #2,719
1999 modern 2,407 #2,716
2000 modern 2,426 #2,684
2001 modern 2,401 #2,657
2002 modern 2,402 #2,709
2003 modern 2,347 #2,706
2004 modern 2,320 #2,731
2005 modern 2,282 #2,739
2006 modern 2,272 #2,751
2007 modern 2,312 #2,741
2008 modern 2,303 #2,764
2009 modern 2,360 #2,773
2010 modern 2,380 #2,809
2011 modern 2,356 #2,798
2012 modern 2,331 #2,779
2013 modern 2,348 #2,799
2014 modern 2,355 #2,811
2015 modern 2,324 #2,816
2016 modern 2,294 #2,831

Geography

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Where Pedleys are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Calverley, Astbury, Burslem, Stoke-on-Trent, Bucknell-cum-Bagnall, Caverswall and Walsall. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Bradford, Cheshire East, Stafford, Stoke-on-Trent and Wakefield. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Some modern areas include a three-digit suffix, such as Leeds 110. The suffix is a small-area code, so it stays in the table while the prose uses the plain place name.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 Calverley Yorkshire, West Riding
2 Astbury Cheshire
3 Burslem Staffordshire
4 Stoke-on-Trent, Bucknell-cum-Bagnall, Caverswall Staffordshire
5 Walsall Staffordshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Bradford 019 Bradford
2 Cheshire East 026 Cheshire East
3 Stafford 003 Stafford
4 Stoke-on-Trent 023 Stoke-on-Trent
5 Wakefield 032 Wakefield

Forenames

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First names often paired with Pedley

These lists show first names that appear often with the Pedley surname in historical and recent records.

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Pedley

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Pedley, this points to the kinds of places where the surname is most concentrated today.

These neighbourhood labels describe areas, not individual people. They are useful because surnames often cluster through family history, migration, housing patterns and local work. A surname can be strongest in one type of neighbourhood even when people with that name live across the country.

The UK classification gives the national picture. The London classification is more specific to the capital, where housing, age profile, tenure and population mix can look quite different from the rest of the UK.

UK neighbourhood type

UK Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities

Group

Rural Amenity

Nationally, the Pedley surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Rural Amenity, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Pedley household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

This Group comprises older parents or retirees, with no resident dependent children, and with the lowest residential densities in this Supergroup. Predominantly UK-born, residents typically live in detached houses, although others do live in semi-detached and terraced properties. The level of multiple car ownership is the highest in this Supergroup. Most houses are owner occupied although social renting is also present. Many concentrations occur in high amenity rural locations, such as Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

Wider pattern

Pervasive throughout the UK, members of this Supergroup typically own (or are buying) their detached, semi-detached or terraced homes. They are also typically educated to A Level/Highers or degree level and work in skilled or professional occupations. Typically born in the UK, some families have children, although the median adult age is above 45 and some property has become under-occupied after children have left home. This Supergroup is pervasive not only in suburban locations, but also in neighbourhoods at or beyond the edge of cities that adjoin rural parts of the country.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Pedley is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers, part of The Greater London Mix. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Mainly located in Inner London, these neighbourhoods retain a diverse employment structure, with some concentration in associated professional and technical occupations rather than skilled trades or construction. Social renting is more common and levels of homeownership are low. Many residents identify as Black. There is a lower than average rate of marriage or civil partnership, few that are very old (85 or over) and higher than average incidence of disability.

Wider London pattern

A Supergroup embodying London's diversity in many respects, apart from low numbers of residents identifying as of Bangladeshi, Indian, Pakistani or Other (non-Chinese) Asian ethnicity. There is lower than average prevalence of families with dependent children, while there are above average occurrences of never-married individuals and single-person households. The age distribution is skewed towards younger, single residents and couples without children, with many individuals identifying as of mixed or multiple ethnicity. Social rented or private rented housing is slightly more prevalent than average, and many residents live in flats. Individuals typically work in professional and associated roles in public administration, education or health rather than in elementary occupations in agriculture, energy, water, construction or manufacturing. Incidence of students is slightly below average. Individuals declaring no religion are more prevalent than average and non-use of English at home is below average.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Pedley is most concentrated in decile 7 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname near the middle of the scale.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

7
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Pedley falls in decile 1 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the more deprived end of the index.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

1
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Pedley is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 30-40 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

6
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

This describes the area pattern most associated with Pedley, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Pedley

The surname Pedley has its origins in England, with records indicating its presence as early as the 13th century. It is derived from the Old English words "pede" and "leah," meaning "pea" and "woodland clearing" respectively, suggesting that the name may have originated from a location where peas were grown or cultivated.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Pedley can be found in the Subsidy Rolls of Staffordshire from 1327, where it appears as "Pedeley." This variation in spelling was common during that time period, as standardized spellings were not widely adopted until much later.

In the 14th century, the name Pedley appeared in the Wills and Inventories of the Archdeaconry of Richmond, Yorkshire, indicating its presence in that region. During this period, the surname was also documented as "Pedeylegh" and "Pedelegh," further illustrating the fluidity of spelling conventions.

Notably, the Pedley surname is mentioned in the Domesday Book of 1086, a comprehensive record of landholdings and taxation commissioned by William the Conqueror. This reference suggests that the name has roots dating back to the Norman Conquest of England.

Among the notable individuals bearing the Pedley surname throughout history are:

1. Thomas Pedley (c. 1540-1590), an English clergyman and author known for his work on ecclesiastical history. 2. John Pedley (1644-1708), a prominent merchant and landowner in Cheshire, England. 3. Eliza Pedley (1793-1868), a British author and poet who wrote extensively on social and moral themes. 4. Reverend Charles Pedley (1789-1857), an English clergyman and author of several religious works. 5. Sir James Pedley (1902-1985), a British civil engineer and academic who made significant contributions to the field of structural engineering.

The Pedley surname has also been linked to various place names throughout England, such as Pedley Fold in Lancashire and Pedley Hill in Staffordshire, further solidifying its geographical roots.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Pedley families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Pedley surname. Use the location tables for concentration, then the name and occupation tables for the people behind the surname.

Top counties

Total is the county count. Frequency and index adjust for local population size, so they are better concentration signals. Staffordshire leads with 389 Pedleys recorded in 1881 and an index of 7.79x.

County Total Index
Staffordshire 389 7.79x
Yorkshire 242 1.65x
Cheshire 181 5.54x
Lancashire 101 0.58x
Warwickshire 97 2.60x
Derbyshire 69 2.98x
Bedfordshire 62 8.09x
Middlesex 59 0.40x
Cambridgeshire 52 5.55x
Huntingdonshire 46 15.66x
Surrey 30 0.42x
Nottinghamshire 27 1.35x
Kent 18 0.36x
Essex 13 0.45x
Hertfordshire 13 1.27x
Durham 12 0.27x
Leicestershire 12 0.73x
Northamptonshire 11 0.79x
Wiltshire 11 0.84x
Hampshire 9 0.30x
Worcestershire 9 0.47x
Gloucestershire 7 0.24x
Northumberland 6 0.27x
Carmarthenshire 5 0.80x
Norfolk 5 0.22x
Sussex 5 0.20x
Lincolnshire 4 0.17x
Berkshire 3 0.27x
Buckinghamshire 3 0.34x
Devon 3 0.10x
Oxfordshire 3 0.33x
Cornwall 2 0.12x
Monmouthshire 2 0.19x
Wigtownshire 2 1.02x
Lanarkshire 1 0.02x
Midlothian 1 0.05x
Somerset 1 0.04x
Suffolk 1 0.06x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Stoke Upon Trent in Staffordshire leads with 103 Pedleys recorded in 1881 and an index of 19.45x.

Place Total Index
Stoke Upon Trent 103 19.45x
Congleton 91 161.23x
Burslem 52 36.34x
Aston 44 4.28x
Birmingham 43 3.46x
Willenhall 40 42.75x
Heaton 25 158.73x
Macclesfield 24 16.53x
Haddenham 23 261.07x
Haworth 23 65.98x
Idle 22 32.36x
Reeth Healaugh 20 1408.45x
Bluntisham 18 326.68x
Shipley 18 23.65x
Walsall Borough 18 46.42x
Caverswall 17 65.46x
Luton 16 12.06x
Melbecks 16 270.73x
Walsall Foreign 16 6.20x
Wolstanton 16 10.55x
Pertenhall 15 877.19x
Bowling 14 9.64x
Reeth 14 385.67x
Stainland Cum Old 14 55.80x
Harborne 13 8.12x
Sedgley 13 7.01x
Wolverhampton 13 3.38x
Biddulph 12 42.58x
Greasley 12 26.67x
Belper 11 24.49x
Camberwell 11 1.16x
Highworth 11 65.75x
Islington London 11 0.77x
Keighley 11 7.04x
Leicester St Margaret 11 2.75x
Linton 11 123.46x
Leeds 10 1.21x
Ramsey 10 42.52x
Stafford St Mary 10 14.14x
Finchley 9 15.86x
Tenterden 9 50.53x
Barrow In Furness 8 3.35x
Bradwall 8 238.10x
Brimington 8 45.48x
Cannock 8 9.18x
Higher Booths 8 25.28x
Hurdsfield 8 39.80x
Liverpool 8 0.75x
St Luke London 8 3.37x
Stockton On Tees 8 3.77x
Trentham 8 18.83x
Ashton Under Lyne 7 1.82x
Brightside Bierlow 7 2.43x
Cheetham 7 5.34x
Crick 7 148.94x
Hatfield Peverel 7 110.94x
Hulland Ward 7 355.33x
Leek Lowe 7 10.53x
Middleton In Wharfedale 7 921.05x
Mile End Old Town 7 3.00x
Newcastle Under Lyme 7 7.92x
Odd Rode 7 43.26x
Pleasley 7 119.86x
St Neots 7 43.83x
Willaston In Nantwich 7 69.44x
Bibury 6 171.43x
Bromley London 6 1.84x
Church Gresley 6 16.28x
Derby St Peter 6 8.13x
Grandborough 6 276.50x
Haslington 6 65.29x
Haydock 6 19.83x
Kempston 6 34.50x
Litchurch 6 6.44x
Oldham 6 1.06x
Sandbach 6 21.54x
Sharnbrook 6 141.51x
Swinton In Rotherham 6 15.47x
Wollaton 6 166.21x
Radford 5 4.93x

Top female names

These are the female first names most often recorded with the Pedley surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Top male names

These are the male first names most often recorded with the Pedley surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
John 94
William 94
Thomas 63
George 55
James 49
Joseph 41
Henry 34
Charles 26
Samuel 22
Arthur 21
Alfred 19
Robert 17
Francis 12
Albert 11
Edward 11
Frederick 11
Richard 10
Isaac 9
Harry 8
Benjamin 6
Stephen 6
Walter 6
David 5
Fredrick 5
Ernest 4
Frank 4
Josiah 4
Moses 4
Oliver 4
Adam 3
Enoch 3
Fred 3
Joshua 3
Matthew 3
Thos. 3
Amos 2
Anthony 2
Chas. 2
Dyson 2
Elijah 2
Harold 2
Heber 2
Herbert 2
Isaiah 2
Louis 2
Luke 2
Mark 2
Mathew 2
Simeon 2
Valentine 2

FAQ

Pedley surname: questions and answers

How common was the Pedley surname in 1881?

In 1881, 1,520 people were recorded with the Pedley surname. That placed it at #2,763 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Pedley surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 2,294 in 2016. That gives Pedley a modern rank of #2,831.

What does the Pedley surname mean?

A surname derived from a place name referring to someone from Pedley, England.

What does the Pedley map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Pedley bearers relative to the surrounding population.

What records is this surname page based on?

The historical counts come from census surname records. The modern counts and neighbourhood summaries come from later surname distribution records. Counts are recorded bearers in those records, not a live estimate of everyone with the name today.